FuG-16ZY fixed loop radio compass for navigation, how does it work?

[SCG_motoadve]

I see it has an horizontal and a vertical guidance, like an ILS approach.

But since we cannot select a frequency.

 

What are the needles indicating exactly ? the closest airfield? the one you took off from?

[Reggie_Mental]

It only has azimuth guidance.

 

The vertical needle, when dead centre indicates you are heading for the beacon. 

 

The horizontal needle is a distance estimation only. When it is bottom left, you are far away, when near it moves to top left or 'Nahe' (German for near)

Think of it as a signal strength meter. It is not a glide slope indicator.

 

Sorry I don't know what the strength/distance parameters in game are. Perhaps a dev could explain.

Edited March 8, 2020 by Reggie_Mental
bad German etc and bigly words used inappropriately

[SCG_motoadve]

1 minute ago, Reggie_Mental said:

It only has vertical guidance.

 

The vertical needle, when dead centre indicates you are heading for the beacon. 

 

The horizontal needle is a distance estimation. When it is bottom left, you are far away, when near it moves to top left or 'Nahr' (German for near)

Think of it as a signal strength meter.

 

Sorry I don't know what the strength/distance parameters in game are. Perhaps a dev could explain.

Great info, thanks, so when is centered means you are heading to the closest beacon?

Are the beacons only placed at airfields or some are at towns or other places too in IL2?

[Reggie_Mental]

If you look carefully you will see antenna beacons on airfields or just out side the peri track or aligned with the approach of the longest runway. They look like a small hut with a lattice antenna on the roof. Some are in towns very near to airfields I think. Your aircraft will usually be tuned to the one for the airfield you took off from or should land on to complete your mission

[=KG76=flyus747]

The vertical needle only indicates heading for the NEAREST friendly radio beacon (which is usually found at AFs)

 

However, only some servers have this feature implemented. For instance, WOL does not have beacons but CB and TAW both do. 

 

The horizontal needle DOES work. My friend tested this awhile back with varying results. If I remember correctly, the ticks meant something ludicrous like 5km, 20km, 130km which would hardly be applicable on small maps but possibly help in larger maps.

[SCG_OpticFlow]

The instrument points always to the nearest friendly beacon, you cannot tune it to a specific one. The mission designer can place the radio shack where ever he wants on the map, could be at AF, in the woods, in enemy territory... Usually it's near the airfield.

 

The scale on the range needle (the vertical scale on the left) should be 100 km. The lowest mark is at 100 km. The middle is 50 km. On the old model (like in the Bf-110-e2) there are smaller marks at the 75 and 25 km range. On the later model (like in the FW-190-A5) the marks are at 100, 50 and 20 (the text label "nahe") km. There is a light in the center of the gauge that lights up when you're directly over the beacon (useful for flying on instruments only, like during the night, if the mission is designed that way).

 

There is an issue with the range though. Seems like it's accurate if you're flying on deck or close to deck, but it gets longer the higher you fly. Don't have the exact measurements but at 3k altitude 50 km on the needle are much more than 50 km to the airfield. Perhaps I should do some measurements and report back with the numbers.

[busdriver]

Just now, =KG76=flyus747 said:

The vertical needle only indicates heading for the NEAREST friendly radio beacon (which is usually found at AFs)

 

Exactly...the vertical needle provides lateral guidance (turn left or right) NOT vertical guidance (go up or down). In  RL vertical guidance refers to flying a glideslope.

[Plurp]

AFN-1:  On the deck the distance is 25, 50, 75, 100km with the signal dropping out at about 90km.  AFN-2:  Its ` 20, 50, 100 km.

 

at 5k is 70, 140, 215, 250 km.  

 

If the beacon is lined up with the runway it also acts as a blind landing system as the light will go off when you fly over it marking the time of when to cut the throttle for final.

[Reggie_Mental]

I have also found that the beacon can be destroyed, then you don't get any DF at all. The vertical needle remains vertical and the distance needle drops to the bottom. 

 

Something to consider when attacking airfields, but I doubt the AI planes will be affected.

[SCG_OpticFlow]

5 minutes ago, Plurp said:

AFN-1:  On the deck the distance is 25, 50, 75, 100km with the signal dropping out at about 90km.  AFN-2:  Its ` 20, 50, 100 km.

 

at 5k is 70, 140, 215, 250 km.  

 

If the beacon is lined up with the runway it also acts as a blind landing system as the light will go off when you fly over it marking the time of when to cut the throttle for final.

 

Thanks for those numbers. I don't remember if there is a slight sound, like morse code tone on the radio when the lamp is lit.

 

Also, on Ju-88 (under the dashboard to the right), the He-111 (on the right wall of the cockpit, near the bomb aimer/navigator seat) and the Bf-110 (on the front dashboard of the gunner position) there is a large compass-like instrument that besides the airplane heading (the little airplane shape) has a needle (with the letters P and S) that points to the radio beacon. It looks like this one:

 

https://www.deutscheluftwaffe.de/fl-23470-2-funkpeilanzeigegeraet-1942

 

It's useful to get an accurate angle to the beacon for more complex navigation.

 

[Plurp]

3 minutes ago, OpticFlow said:

 

Thanks for those numbers. I don't remember if there is a slight sound, like morse code tone on the radio when the lamp is lit.

 

Also, on Ju-88 (under the dashboard to the right), the He-111 (on the right wall of the cockpit, near the bomb aimer/navigator seat) and the Bf-110 (on the front dashboard of the gunner position) there is a large compass-like instrument that besides the airplane heading (the little airplane shape) has a needle (with the letters P and S) that points to the radio beacon. It looks like this one:

 

https://www.deutscheluftwaffe.de/fl-23470-2-funkpeilanzeigegeraet-1942

 

It's useful to get an accurate angle to the beacon for more complex navigation.

 

These, along with the rotary dial on the ju-52 are great for flying away from a beacon to fly the beam to more accurately fly a course.  

[Reggie_Mental]

I've never seen it light up over the beacon.

 

EDIT: just tried it in a Me109K4. No light.

Edited March 8, 2020 by Reggie_Mental

[Plurp]

19 minutes ago, Reggie_Mental said:

I've never seen it light up over the beacon.

If you are very low, you have to be directly over the beacon and looking right at it when it flashes.  The higher up you go, the longer it will stay on.  So another way to know when to cut your throttle for landing is when the needle starts to deflect to the right/left as it does once you pass over it.

[Reggie_Mental]

6 minutes ago, Plurp said:

If you are very low, you have to be directly over the beacon and looking right at it when it flashes.  The higher up you go, the longer it will stay on.  So another way to know when to cut your throttle for landing is when the needle starts to deflect to the right/left as it does once you pass over it.

I thought you meant a light in the instrument! So it's a light on the antenna! I'll try that again.

[SCG_OpticFlow]

3 minutes ago, Reggie_Mental said:

I thought you meant a light in the instrument! So it's a light on the antenna! I'll try that again.

 

It's the light in the instrument. try flying at 3k over it.

[Plurp]

4 minutes ago, Reggie_Mental said:

I thought you meant a light in the instrument! So it's a light on the antenna! I'll try that again.

Sorry, it is the instrument.  I meant looking directly at the gauge

[SCG_OpticFlow]

see the explaination at https://youtu.be/oagUedUeA10?t=352

 

[SCG_OpticFlow]

New video by Requiem on the topic: